New NHL Arcade Game Reignites Old Arguments - BlyGilmore's Blog

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New NHL Arcade Game Reignites Old Arguments Stuck

Posted on February 19, 2009 at 12:53 PM.

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Fat, Medium, Skinny? Fat, Fat, Skinny? Skinny, Skinny, Fat?

Back in the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System, my brothers and I spent hours in our living room contemplating the ultimate mix of players while playing the NES classic Ice Hockey.

It was the first time we sat down in front of the television and had to make choices that impacted how good our players were in the game.

Sure, the skinny dude could fly, but if you looked at him wrong he collapsed to the ice. Fatty was a truck, but was slower than the current economy. And the guy in the middle was the classic jack of all trades, master of none.

Last week I downloaded 3 on 3 NHL Arcade and was surprised to see the exact same mechanic in play, 20 or so years later.

All of the players in the game are classified as either Fast (Skinny), Strong (Fat) or All-Around (Medium), and your team takes a different look depending on how you make up your team.

The only thing missing is the ability to play as the USSR.

I know some folks have been disappointed with the game so far, and truth be told it really doesn't offer a ton of features.

What it does do, however, is deliver a simple, fun game you can play online or with friends. Game play is simple enough that gamers and non-gamers alike can pickup the controller and figure out what they're doing quickly - making it a great party game.

But it is also dynamic enough that some strategy does come into play. The composition of your team and how you react to the various power-ups and power-downs have a lot to do with the outcome.

And here's a big key - the game doesn't try to reinvent hockey like those "EA Big" titles have. The "crazy arcade action" in 3 on 3 doesn't drastically change the basic foundations of hockey. Your are still trying to score as often as possible while keeping your opponent from doing the same.

While in games like NBA Street, basketball fundamentals are often thrown to the curb as the game becomes a race to see who can get the most gamebreakers.

Personally, I think EA is close to having a hit on its hands. All this game needs is an NBA Jam-like feature set and its 6.5/7 review scores will soar into the high 8s.

Either let players pick from real NHL teams and then select three players from that roster, or as an homage to Ice Hockey have a number of national teams to pick from.

Throw in a little ladder action and perhaps some online leagues and this game is good to go.

Please note, a high definition version of this video is available by clicking the "up" arrow and selecting HD.

Comments

# 1 RaychelSnr @ Feb 19

I agree with you wholeheartedly. If 3 on 3 were given an actual development period and an NBA Jam like feature set....maybe even expanded a bit you would have a very quality title on your hands. NHL Arcade is already a fun game, but there isn't much there to entice you to play more than mere pick up games with your buddies.